The invention relates to a non-cross-linked copolymer foam with polyamide blocks and polyether blocks, wherein: the polyamide blocks of the copolymer have an average molar mass of from 200 to 1,500 g/mol; the polyether blocks of the copolymer have an average molar mass of from 800 to 2,500 g/mol; and the weight ratio of the polyamide blocks to the polyether blocks of the copolymer is from 0.1 to 0.9. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing said foam and items manufactured from said foam.

Described herein are biological devices and methods for using the same to produce carbo sugars. The biological devices include microbial cells transformed with a DNA construct containing genes for producing a cellulose synthase and galactomannan galactosyltransferase. In some instances, the biological devices also include a gene for lipase. Methods for altering the viscosity of petroleum oil using the carbo sugars are also described herein. Finally, methods for degreasing or decontaminating water mixed with petroleum oil or other fatty substances or a surface coated with petroleum oil or other fatty substances using the carbo sugars are described herein.

The present disclosure generally relates to aerogel materials and methods for producing them.

The present invention encompasses polyurethane compositions comprising aliphatic polycarbonate chains. In one aspect, the present invention encompasses polyurethane foams, thermoplastics and elastomers derived from aliphatic polycarbonate polyols and polyisocyanates wherein the polyol chains contain a primary repeating unit having a structure:

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In another aspect, the invention provides articles comprising the inventive foam and elastomer compositions as well as methods of making such compositions.

Foam particles that have a bulk density below 300 kg/m.sup.3 and are based on polyamides, including 85% to 100% by weight of at least one copolyamide obtainable by polymerizing the following components: (A) 15% to 84% by weight of at least one lactam, (B) 16% to 85% by weight of a monomer mixture (M) including the following components: (B1) at least one C.sub.32-C.sub.40 dimer acid and (B2) at least one C.sub.4-C.sub.12 diamine, wherein the monomer mixture (M) includes in the range from 45 to 55 mol % of component (B1) and in the range from 45 to 55 mol % of component (B2), based on the total molar amount of the monomer mixture (M), and the sum total of the components of (A) and (B) is 100% by weight, and processes for production thereof.

The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a copolymer foam containing polyamide blocks and polyether blocks, comprising the following steps: mixing the copolymer melt with a blowing agent, said copolymer having a coefficient of thermal diffusivity a and a crystallization temperature T.sub.c; providing a mold of thickness h at a temperature T.sub.m; injecting the mixture of the copolymer and of the blowing agent at a temperature T.sub.p, into the closed mold; foaming the mixture by opening the mold;
in which the maintenance time between the injection of the mixture of the copolymer and of the blowing agent into the closed mold and the opening of the mold is within the range extending from (t.sub.opt−25%) to (t.sub.opt+25%),
t.sub.opt being expressed in seconds and obtained by equation (I):

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}{t}_{\mathrm{opt}}=-\frac{1}{{\pi }^2}\frac{h^2}{a}\ln \left(\frac{\pi }{4}\frac{T_m-T_c}{T_m-T_p}\right),& \left(I\right)\end{array}$

in which a is expressed in m.sup.2/s, h is expressed in m and T.sub.m, T.sub.c and T.sub.p are expressed in ° C.

Embodiments of the present disclosure includes an elastomeric polyurethane foam with improved high temperature performance, comprising a reaction product of components including: (a) an isocyanate functional urethane prepolymer derived from one or more prepolymers comprising monomeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and polymeric MDI, and a polyether diol; and (b) an isocyanate-reactive component including: (i) a first polyol in an amount of about 10 to about 70 parts by weight of the isocyanate-reactive component, wherein the first polyol is a propylene oxide or ethylene oxide-capped nominal diol with a number-average molecular weight between about 1000 g/mol and about 9000 g/mol; (ii) a second polyol in an amount of about 0 to about 50 parts by weight of the isocyanate-reactive component, wherein the second polyol is a nominal triol with a high proportion of randomly dispersed ethoxy groups with a number-average molecular weight between about 1000 g/mol and about 8000 g/mol; (iii) a third polyol in an amount of about 0 to about 20 parts by weight of the isocyanate-reactive component, wherein the third polyol is an ethylene oxide-capped nominal tetraol with a number-average molecular weight between about 250 g/mol and about 6000 g/mol; and (iv) a fourth polyol in an amount of about 0 to about 80 parts by weight of the isocyanate-reactive component, wherein the fourth polyol is an ethylene oxide or propylene oxide-capped nominal triol with a number-average molecular weight between about 1000 g/mol and about 13000 g/mol. In one another embodiment, the isocyanate-reactive component also includes an additive package in the amount of about 1 to about 30 that can contain, but is not limited to, blowing agents, catalysts, coloring agents, inorganic filler, and anti-oxidants.

A hybrid material contains a matrix of polyurethane and foamed particles of thermoplastic polyurethane contained therein. A process can be used for producing such hybrid materials and these hybrid materials can be used as bicycle saddles, upholstery and shoe soles.

The invention relates to a composition, which comprises the components (a) a polyurethane foam or a polyether polyol; and (b) a compound of formula (I) wherein R.sup.1 is H or C.sub.1-alkyl. A process for manufacturing the aforementioned composition, the use of a component (b) for stabilizing component (a) against degradation and a specific additive mixture comprising component (b) and as component (c) a first further additive, which is a specific aromatic amine, are described.

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A polyurethane foam may include a base polyol component, a phosphorous polyol component, an expandable graphite, and melamine. The polyurethane foam may have a VO rating based on a UL94 flame retardancy test performed at a polyurethane foam thickness of 3.5 mm and a polyurethane foam density of 380 kg/m.sup.3.